The MML website lists benefits and disadvantages for a village to become a city.

Advantages of being a city:

Allows residents to deal with only one government instead of two.

Permits you to modernize and customize your form of government by writing your own charter.

Assures that state-collected, locally shared taxes are returned to the city, and used by the city as you determine.

Eliminates dual taxation. City residents do not pay township taxes.

Eliminates confusion over authority of township and county to enforce their ordinances over residents of city, as in planning and zoning.

Eliminates potential duplication of services.

Simplifies voter registration.

City can spend all its tax revenues on its own projects.

Sharing of township assets.

Joint contractual relationships (fire authority) can stay in place.

Officials get to chose the form of government they want: strong mayor; strong mayor with an appointed manager; weak mayor/council; council/city manager.

Potential disadvantages of becoming a city:

A city assessor has to be compensated solely by the city.

A board of review appointed by the city presupposes city residents want to volunteer and serve.

Collection of taxes includes taxes for county and schools (intermediate and public) This may entail more time and expense.

Holding city, school, county, state and national elections will require additional manpower and expense.

May require withdrawal from joint authorities with township for police, fire, water, sewage disposal, planning or zoning. Depends upon negotiations with township.

May end up with a cemetery.

Must endure the political pain and cost of the process.

Division of assets.

Mathewson said the actual process of becoming a city and creating a charter can take months. Village residents vote to become a city and to elect individuals for a charter commission. Once the charter is created, then residents would vote again to approve the charter.

For more information on what it takes to become a city, click here for a document from the MML.